Every week someone asks if the drone shots on our Instagram are a paid add-on. They're not — here's exactly what's included on a private boat trip in Madeira, what isn't, and how to make sure you come home with footage worth keeping.
Does a Madeira boat trip really include drone footage?
Yes, on a Chifbay trip it's standard, not an upsell. The drone goes up over the boat at Cabo Girão on both the Day Trip and the Sunset Trip, and the footage is sent to you afterwards at no extra cost. That's not universal across the island — some operators charge separately for aerial footage, or don't offer it at all — so if a video matters to your trip, it's worth asking any operator directly before you book rather than assuming it's included.
Where does the drone actually fly during the trip?
It flies at Cabo Girão, the 580-metre basalt cliff that's one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. On the Day Trip the boat idles under the cliff around mid-morning or mid-afternoon while drinks and food come out on deck and the drone climbs; on the Sunset Trip the same shot happens as the light turns amber, roughly 45 minutes after the 18:30 departure. It's the one moment on the water built around getting a genuinely dramatic shot — the scale of the cliff against a small boat is hard to capture any other way.
What's the difference between drone footage and a filmed video?
Drone footage is the aerial clip of your boat at Cabo Girão — a few minutes of overhead shots, included on every trip. A filmed video is a longer, edited piece that follows more of the day on the water, not just the drone angle. On the Day Trip, the filmed video is included only on the 3-hour option that continues on to Ponta do Sol; the 2h30 trip to Fajã dos Padres and Ribeira Brava gets the drone footage but not the extra video. On the Sunset Trip, both the 2-hour and 2h30 options include drone footage, with no separate filmed-video add-on.
How do you get good footage of your own trip?
Wear colour, not head-to-toe neutrals — a red or yellow towel or top reads far better from a drone height than beige or grey against dark water. Keep the boat's deck reasonably tidy for the few minutes the drone is up, since bags and coolers show up more than you'd expect from directly above. And don't pose for it — the shots that actually get watched back are the ones of people mid-laugh or mid-jump, not a lineup staring at the camera. If you're celebrating something specific — a proposal, a birthday, an anniversary — mention it to the skipper before the trip so the timing at Cabo Girão can work around it.
Which trip should you book if the video matters most?
Book the 3-hour Day Trip if a proper edited video is the priority — it's the only option that includes one on top of the drone footage, and the extra hour to Ponta do Sol gives more material to work with. If you mainly want the aerial shot at Cabo Girão without the longer video, the 2h30 Day Trip or either Sunset Trip option covers that at a lower price, with swimming stops at Fajã dos Padres and Ribeira Brava only on the Day Trip — the Sunset Trip runs the same coastline without swimming, since the water is too cold to enjoy by the time it departs.
The drone shot people actually keep isn't the wide one of the cliff — it's the one with their own boat, and their own people, in the frame.
However you book it, the footage is yours to keep and share. It's a small detail that ends up mattering more than most people expect once the trip is over and the only thing left is what you took home with you.
